AlessandroB wrote on 2021-10-26, 20:16:
but I don't have months of rehearsals to do. I need a method to connect them online as simple as possible (which does not mean that it has to be elementary, but that I don't have to choose the most difficult method if there is a simpler one).
Right, so just use packet driver and mTCP and don't even try Windows File & Printer Sharing. More specifically, if in doubt, run the server on the old machine and the client on the new one. What passed for "user-friendly" on PC/XT class machines may be a bit too challenging for you. Everything you need for FTP server is in the mTCP download. On the new machine, if in doubt, use FileZilla - an open-source mature client that's as easy to use for people used to Windows as anything out there.
More specifically, the *only* downloads you need:
- DOS (packet) driver package for the NIC; in the case of the 3C509B you need just two files: 3C5X9CFG.EXE to configure the card resources and3C5X9PD.COM, the packet driver.
- mbrutman's mTCP suite, including DHCP client and FTP server. All the documentation needed to get it running is here - and I believe you already saw that document.
- Filezilla on the new machine.
these are the network cards I own (but I can buy one if it serves to simplify me and anyway I like having great hardware (3COM). […]
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these are the network cards I own (but I can buy one if it serves to simplify me and anyway I like having great hardware (3COM).
https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1-R5dH … sxn?usp=sharing
I was thinking of putting the 3com PCI in the pentium 75 (which in the meantime was raised to 200) and the 3com isa in the 486, I still have to decide what to install in the 5150 .... advice?
tnks
It's already been confirmed that the 3C509B will work in 5150. Given that that's the most challenging machine, go for the safest option. Only caveat: as it has an 8b bus, its IRQs only go up to 7. In 16b systems (286 and newer), network cards are generally configured on IRQ 10 or 11, so there's a good chance that this NIC is on one of those. That won't work in the 5150. Possibly 3C5X9CFG (the 3Com config tool for the card) can detect it and set a low IRQ regardeless, but worst-case you first need to stick it in the 486, there configure it for a free low IRQ on the 5150 and then move it over to the 5150. As for which IRQ to choose, that depends on your system and what's in it. I'd generally go for IRQ3 (used by default for COM2), and then disable the second serial port, if present, but IRQ 7 or 2 might also be an option (although if you have a sound card they might conflict).
As for the rest...
The 3C905B-TXM is a nice 10/100 NIC with good DOS support. This is probably the driver package you need.
The generic RTL8139D-based card is well-supported but there's a catch: late revision RTL8139 cards like this need PCI 2.2 buses with 3.3V to work. That means no P75, this will only work with late P3 (not i440BX chipset) or Athlon/P4 onward. If you have such a system running DOS, drivers are here
Finally the noname Winbond WB9C904AXF... that could be the most challenging. There's precious little documentation about the chip or indeed the drivers. Only thing I can find is an entry on scam site network-drivers.com (do NOT click in any download links on that site!), with a file list of the archive w89c904.zip, including the config tool DIAG.EXE packet driver ETHPK.COM. Now, I'm going out on a limb here, but I'm assuming that this chip basically is NE2000 compatible, and that it needs a config utility as well as the packet driver. There are quite a few like that, and this one supports multiple similar chipsets, has a conf tool named DIAG.EXE and has a packet driver names ETHPK.COM. If you're feeling confident after getting the 3C509B running, you could try this. But this really is at least one level more complex than the rest as there's no hard documentation and just guesswork.
Tbh, I'd recommmend getting a second 3C509B for the 486. Or if it's a PCI 486, use the 3C905B-TXM. It won't run anywhere near full speed, but those old 3Com cards were highly compatible (other than the 3C501, read up on its Linux driver documentation if you want a good laugh).